Tolling system and method using telecommunications

Abstract

System, arrangement and method for tolling includes a location determining system arranged at least partly in a vehicle to determine the vehicle location during vehicular travel, a toll database including data about tolls for use of a plurality of lanes of a multi-lane roadway at a plurality of different geographic points, the toll data being different for different lanes of the multi-lane roadway at at least one geographic point, and a communications device arranged on the vehicle. A processor directs transmission including the determined vehicle location and an identification of the vehicle by the communications device to a remote site separate and apart from the vehicle. A toll is determined at the remote site based on the toll database and the vehicle location which is the lane-specific location of the vehicle or based on at least two vehicle locations each of which is a lane-specific location of the vehicle.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62 / 288,255 filed Jan. 28, 2016, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14 / 814,616 filed Jul. 31, 2015, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14 / 731,552 filed Jun. 5, 2015, now abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 603,127 filed Sep. 4, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,053,633, both of which are incorporated by reference herein.[0002]This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 177,041 filed Oct. 22, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,370,475, Ser. No. 09 / 523,559 filed Mar. 10, 2000, now abandoned, Ser. No. 09 / 679,317 filed Oct. 4, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,132, Ser. No. 09 / 909,466 filed Jul. 19, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,526,352, Ser. No. 10 / 118,858 filed Apr. 9, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,720,920, Ser. No. 10 / 216,633 filed Aug. 9, 2002, ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a system for tolling vehicles using automatic communication to a remote site. The system includes an accurate location determining system in the vehicle, a memory device with map data about predetermined locations where tolls are charged, and a processor that compares the vehicle's location to the map data and directs a transmission to the remote site if necessary. The system can also use imaging devices to monitor vehicle passage and obtain images of the vehicle for alternative toll charging methods or to ascertain if the vehicle is avoiding the toll. The vehicle's location can be determined in multiple lanes of a multi-lane roadway. The system can also use cell phones or other portable devices as the communications device to send the vehicle's location to the remote site. The toll database includes data about tolls for use of a plurality of lanes of a multi-lane roadway at different geographic points. The toll is determined at the remote site based on the vehicle's location and the location of the toll infrastructure. The vehicle's identification is sent to the remote site in or with the transmission. The toll may be calculated based on the vehicle's identification, congestion, and other factors such as time of day or value of the infrastructure used.

Problems solved by technology

Significant inequities, however, occur because such taxes as the fuel tax are not paid by infrastructure users in proportion to their use of the infrastructure.

Such tax collection and tolling systems are additionally expensive to implement and maintain, and can contribute to congestion on the nation's roadways as vehicles queue waiting to pay the toll.

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